Menstrual cramps can range from annoying to disabling. Mayo Clinic notes that some women experience severe pain radiating to the thighs, back and ribcage during menstruation. In some cases, women even experience nausea, vomiting and lightheadedness as a result of menstrual pain. If conventional treatment options have failed to fully relieve your menstrual pain, medicinal herbs may help mitigate many of your symptoms. Consult your health care provider before taking medicinal herbs if you are taking any medication, including blood-thinners and birth control pills.
Step 1
Take a daily supplement containing chasteberry (also known as monk's pepper or vitex). The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) reports that this herb, when taken daily, may help to reduce premenstrual syndrome and other discomforts related to menstruation.
Step 2
Drink a tea made with white willow or meadowsweet. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, these herbs contain salicin. When this compound interacts with stomach acid, it produces a compound that metabolizes into salicylic acid, a compound that is chemically almost identical to aspirin. Understand that willow bark and meadowsweet do not work as quickly as aspirin; however, their effects last longer.
Step 3
Drink a tea containing red raspberry leaf, an herb traditionally used to strengthen the uterus. Red raspberry leaf does not provide immediate pain relief; instead, it helps to gradually strengthen uterine muscles to make menstruation less painful.
Step 4
Take a tincture or aqueous extract of cramp bark during episodes of painful menstruation. Cramp bark is a powerful antispasmodic and helps to relax contractions in the uterus. It may also help to slow excessive bleeding during painful periods.
